The People of Penn State
Welcome to the People of Penn State Podcast — the podcast from the Penn State Alumni Association that brings you the incredible stories of Nittany Lions making their mark on the world!
Each episode, a rotating cast of hosts sit down with Penn State alumni who are changing the game in business, science, sports, the arts, and beyond. You never know who you'll hear from next — but you do know it'll be a conversation worth tuning in for!
The People of Penn State
Episode 10 — The Hope Gala
The NYC Hope Gala is a 100% volunteer-led annual gala and year-round fundraising organization established to support the fundraising efforts of Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). Since 2008, The Hope Gala has raised over $1.5 million towards the mission of conquering childhood cancer.
In episode 10 of The People of Penn State, Co-Executive Directors of The Hope Gala, Sara Leary Swanson '14 and Ema Gaubaite '10 discussed the origins of the gala, how they each got involved with it and overviewed how the organization has grown in a more virtual world.
Timestamps
0:25 — Intro
3:02 — Choosing Penn State
4:38 — Activities at Penn State
6:12 — Hope Gala Overview
8:06 — Getting involved with The Hope Gala
10:15 — Information on the 2022 Hope Gala
11:21 — Year-long efforts for the organization
13:00 — The gala in a virtual world
15:15 — Annual fundraising efforts
16:30 — Favorite aspects of leading the gala
19:04 — Relationship building through volunteering
20:30 — Ad Read
21:38 — Lighting Round Questions
31:30 — Outro
Visit The Hope Gala's website or follow it on social media:
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Learn more about the Penn State Alumni Association: alumni.psu.edu.
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Guest Bios:
Sara Leary Swanson is a User-Experience Design Lead at JP Morgan. Her leadership style centers around mentoring and advancing women in the fintech industry and the inclusivity and accessibility of technology.
A 2014 graduate, Sara received her B.A. in Integrative Arts and B.A. in Communications from the Pennsylvania State University. She is now pursuing her MBA from Stevens Institute of Technology. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Richard Swanson (PSU class of 2014), and mini Goldendoodle, Brie.
Ema Gaubaite is a Vice President at Capital Group Private Client Service. She works closely with clients providing wealth management services and valuable solutions to high-net-worth families and institutions.
Prior to joining Capital, Ema worked at Family Management and FIduciary Trust Company International with a focus on alternative investment research and relationship management. A 2010 graduate, Ema received her B.S. in Economics from Pennsylvania State University and was very involved with THON during her tenure there. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her fiancé, Andrew Gheraldi and Bernedoodle, Guinness.
